The following description comes from the event organizer.

Music is a big part of a lot of peoples’ lives, providing a soundtrack along each step of their journey. For some though, music means even more, a personal tool to not only express their own talents, but to share it with others.

That rings true for Carson, California emcee Ab-Soul – born Herbert Anthony Stevens IV in 1987 – whose life has been intertwined with music since he took his first breaths. Born into a family that owned and operated a record store since before his birth, Ab-Soul was literally in the store since his earliest years. “I had a cradle in the shop,” Soul said. “We just closed the store last year in April, so my entire life.”

The store – Magic Disc Music – was a big part of his childhood, as well as the West Coast music scene. His grandfather was responsible for the world famous VIP Records chain in the Los Angeles area that was a launching pad for the careers of stars like Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg. To him though, it was just his family’s business and a way to learn the music game firsthand. “It was crazy at first, because it was really something that my mom did for work,” Soul said. “Music didn’t really resonate for me probably until I wrote my first rap (at 12 years old). It was kind of bland to me for a long time, it was just business. At the same time, growing up in that environment I was able to soak up a lot of game, as far as retail and the marketing side of the business.”